the fatal boots- 第7部分

called　the　scruff　of　my　neck；　the　disgusting　brute　gave　me　another

blow　behind　my　back；　and　left　the　coffee…room　with　his　friends。



Dobble　raised　me　up；　and　taking　the　card　from　my　neck；　read；

CAPTAIN　WATERS。　　Clopper　poured　me　out　a　glass　of　water；　and　said

in　my　ear；　〃If　this　is　true；　you　are　an　infernal　scoundrel；　Stubbs；

and　must　fight　me；　after　Captain　Waters；〃　and　he　flounced　out　of

the　room。



I　had　but　one　course　to　pursue。　　I　sent　the　Captain　a　short　and

contemptuous　note；　saying　that　he　was　beneath　my　anger。　　As　for

Clopper；　I　did　not　condescend　to　notice　his　remark　but　in　order　to

get　rid　of　the　troublesome　society　of　these　low　blackguards；　I

determined　to　gratify　an　inclination　I　had　long　entertained；　and

make　a　little　tour。　　I　applied　for　leave　of　absence；　and　set　off

THAT　VERY　NIGHT。　　I　can　fancy　the　disappointment　of　the　brutal

Waters；　on　coming；　as　he　did；　the　next　morning　to　my　quarters　and

finding　me　GONE。　　Ha！　ha！



After　this　adventure　I　became　sick　of　a　military　lifeat　least　the

life　of　my　own　regiment；　where　the　officers；　such　was　their

unaccountable　meanness　and　prejudice　against　me；　absolutely　refused

to　see　me　at　mess。　　Colonel　Craw　sent　me　a　letter　to　this　effect；

which　I　treated　as　it　deserved。I　never　once　alluded　to　it　in　any

way；　and　have　since　never　spoken　a　single　word　to　any　man　in　the

North　Bungays。





AUGUST。DOGS　HAVE　THEIR　DAYS。





See；　now；　what　life　is！　　I　have　had　ill…luck　on　ill…luck　from　that

day　to　this。　　I　have　sunk　in　the　world；　and；　instead　of　riding　my

horse　and　drinking　my　wine；　as　a　real　gentleman　should；　have　hardly

enough　now　to　buy　a　pint　of　ale；　ay；　and　am　very　glad　when　anybody

will　treat　me　to　one。　　Why；　why　was　I　born　to　undergo　such

unmerited　misfortunes？



You　must　know　that　very　soon　after　my　adventure　with　Miss　Crutty；

and　that　cowardly　ruffian；　Captain　Waters　（he　sailed　the　day　after

his　insult　to　me；　or　I　should　most　certainly　have　blown　his　brains

out；　NOW　he　is　living　in　England；　and　is　my　relation；　but；　of

course；　I　cut　the　fellow）very　soon　after　these　painful　events

another　happened；　which　ended；　too；　in　a　sad　disappointment。　　My

dear　papa　died；　and；　instead　of　leaving　five　thousand　pounds；　as　I

expected　at　the　very　least；　left　only　his　estate；　which　was　worth

but　two。　　The　land　and　house　were　left　to　me；　to　mamma　and　my

sisters　he　left；　to　be　sure；　a　sum　of　two　thousand　pounds　in　the

hands　of　that　eminent　firm　Messrs。　Pump；　Aldgate　and　Co。；　which

failed　within　six　months　after　his　demise；　and　paid　in　five　years

about　one　shilling　and　ninepence　in　the　pound；　which　really　was　all

my　dear　mother　and　sisters　had　to　live　upon。



The　poor　creatures　were　quite　unused　to　money　matters；　and；　would

you　believe　it？　when　the　news　came　of　Pump　and　Aldgate's　failure；

mamma　only　smiled；　and　threw　her　eyes　up　to　heaven；　and　said；

〃Blessed　be　God；　that　we　have　still　wherewithal　to　live。　　There　are

tens　of　thousands　in　this　world；　dear　children；　who　would　count　our

poverty　riches。〃　　And　with　this　she　kissed　my　two　sisters；　who

began　to　blubber；　as　girls　always　will　do；　and　threw　their　arms

round　her　neck；　and　then　round　my　neck；　until　I　was　half　stifled

with　their　embraces；　and　slobbered　all　over　with　their　tears。



〃Dearest　mamma；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　very　glad　to　see　the　noble　manner　in

which　you　bear　your　loss；　and　more　still　to　know　that　you　are　so

rich　as　to　be　able　to　put　up　with　it。〃　　The　fact　was；　I　really

thought　the　old　lady　had　got　a　private　hoard　of　her　own；　as　many　of

them　havea　thousand　pounds　or　so　in　a　stocking。　　Had　she　put　by

thirty　pounds　a　year；　as　well　she　might；　for　the　thirty　years　of

her　marriage；　there　would　have　been　nine　hundred　pounds　clear；　and

no　mistake。　　But　still　I　was　angry　to　think　that　any　such　paltry

concealment　had　been　practisedconcealment　too　of　MY　money；　so　I

turned　on　her　pretty　sharply；　and　continued　my　speech。　　〃You　say；

Ma'am；　that　you　are　rich；　and　that　Pump　and　Aldgate's　failure　has

no　effect　upon　you。　　I　am　very　happy　to　hear　you　say　so；　Ma'am

very　happy　that　you　ARE　rich；　and　I　should　like　to　know　where　your

property；　my　father's　property；　for　you　had　none　of　your　own；I

should　like　to　know　where　this　money　liesWHERE　YOU　HAVE　CONCEALED

IT；　Ma'am；　and；　permit　me　to　say；　that　when　I　agreed　to　board　you

and　my　two　sisters　for　eighty　pounds　a　year；　I　did　not　know　that

you　had　OTHER　resources　than　those　mentioned　in　my　blessed　father's

will。〃



This　I　said　to　her　because　I　hated　the　meanness　of　concealment；　not

because　I　lost　by　the　bargain　of　boarding　them：　for　the　three　poor

things　did　not　eat　much　more　than　sparrows：　and　I've　often　since

calculated　that　I　had　a　clear　twenty　pounds　a　year　profit　out　of

them。



Mamma　and　the　girls　looked　quite　astonished　when　I　made　the　speech。

〃What　does　he　mean？〃　said　Lucy　to　Eliza。



Mamma　repeated　the　question。　　〃My　beloved　Robert；　what　concealment

are　you　talking　of？〃



〃I　am　talking　of　concealed　property；　Ma'am；〃　says　I　sternly。



〃And　do　youwhatcan　youdo　you　really　suppose　that　I　have

concealedany　of　that　blessed　sa…a…a…aint's　prop…op…op…operty？〃

screams　out　mamma。　　〃Robert；〃　says　she〃Bob；　my　own　darling　boy

my　fondest；　best　beloved；　now　HE　is　gone〃　（meaning　my　late

governormore　tears）〃you　don't；　you　cannot　fancy　that　your　own

mother；　who　bore　you；　and　nursed　you；　and　wept　for　you；　and　would

give　her　all　to　save　you　from　a　moment's　harmyou　don't　suppose

that　she　would　che…e…e…eat　you！〃　　And　here　she　gave　a　louder

screech　than　ever；　and　flung　back　on　the　sofa；　and　one　of　my

sisters　went　and　tumbled　into　her　arms；　and　t'other　went　round；　and

the　kissing　and　slobbering　scene　went　on　again；　only　I　was　left

out；　thank　goodness。　　I　hate　such　sentimentality。



〃CHE…E…E…EAT　ME；〃　says　I；　mocking　her。　　〃What　do　you　mean；　then；　by

saying　you're　so　rich？　　Say；　have　you　got　money；　or　have　you　not？〃

（And　I　rapped　out　a　good　number　of　oaths；　too；　which　I　don't　put　in

here；　but　I　was　in　a　dreadful　fury；　that's　the　fact。）



〃So　help　me　heaven；〃　says　mamma；　in　answer；　going　down　on　her　knees

and　smacking　her　two　hands；　〃I　have　but　a　Queen　Anne's　guinea　in

the　whole　of　this　wicked　world。〃



〃Then　what；　Madam；　induces　you　to　tell　these　absurd　stories　to　me；

and　to　talk　about　your　riches；　when　you　know　that　you　and　your

daughters　are　beggars；　Ma'amBEGGARS？〃



〃My　dearest　boy；　have　we　not　got　the　house；　and　the　furniture；　and

a　hundred　a　year　still；　and　have　you　not　great　talents；　which　will

make　all　our　fortunes？〃　says　Mrs。　Stubbs；　getting　up　off　her　knees；

and　making　believe　to　smile　as　she　clawed　hold　of　my　hand　and

kissed　it。



This　was　TOO　cool。　　〃YOU　have　got　a　hundred　a　year；　Ma'am；〃　says　I

〃YOU　have　got　a　house？　　Upon　my　soul　and　honor　this　is　the　first　I

ever　heard　of　it；　and　I'll　tell　you　what；　Ma'am；〃　says　I　（and　it

cut　her　PRETTY　SHARPLY　too）：　〃as　you've　got　it；　YOU'D　BETTER　GO　AND

LIVE　IN　IT。　　I've　got　quite　enough　to　do　with　my　own　house；　and

every　penny　of　my　own　income。〃



Upon　this　speech　the　old　lady　said　nothing；　but　she　gave　a　screech

loud　enough　to　be　heard　from　here　to　York；　and　down　she　fell

kicking　and　struggling　in　a　regular　fit。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



I　did　not　see　Mrs。　Stubbs　for　some　days　after　this；　and　the　girls

used　to　come　down　to　meals；　and　never　speak；　going　up　again　and

stopping　with　their　mother。　　At　last；　one　day；　both　of　them　came　in

very　solemn　to　my　study；　and　Eliza；　the　eldest；　said；　〃Robert；

mamma　has　paid　you　our　board　up　to　Michaelmas。〃



〃She　has；〃　says　I；　for　I　always　took　precious　good　care　to　have　it

in　advance。



〃She　says；　Robert；　That　on　Michaelmas　daywe'llwe'll　go　away；

Robert。〃



〃Oh；　she's　going　to　her　own　house；　is　she；　Lizzy？　　Very　good。

She'll　want　the　furniture；　I　suppose；　and　that　she　may　have　too；

for　I'm　going　to　sell　the　place　myself。〃　　And　so　THAT　matter　was

settled。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



On　Michaelmas　dayand　during　these　two　months　I　hadn't；　I　do

believe；　seen　my　mother　twice　（once；　about　two　o'clock　in　the

morning；　I　woke　and　found　her　sobbing　over　my　bed）on　Michaelmas…

day　morning；　Eliza　comes　to　me　and　says；　〃ROBERT；　THEY　WILL　COME

AND　FETCH　US　AT　SIX　THIS　EVENING。〃　　Well；　as　this　was　the　last　day；

I　went　and　got　the　best　goose　I　could　find　（I　don't　think　I　ever

saw　a　primer；　or　ate　more　hearty　myself）；　and　had　it　roasted　at

three；　with　a　good　pudding　afterwards；　and　a　glorious　bowl　of

punch。　　〃Here's　a　health　to　you；　dear　girls；〃　says　I；　〃and　you；　Ma；

and　good　luck　to　all　three；　and　as　you've　not　eaten　a　morsel；　I

hope　you　won't　object　to　a　glass　of　punch。　　It's　the　old　stuff；　you

know；　Ma'am；　that　that　Waters　sent　to　my　father　fifteen　years　ago。〃



Six　o'clock　came；　and　with　it　came　a　fine　barouche。　　As　I　live；

Captain　Waters　was　on　the　box　（it　was　his　coach）；　that　old　thief；

Bates；　jumped　out；　entered　my　house；　and　before　I　could　say　Jack

Robinson；　whipped　off　mamma　to　the　carriage：　the　girls　followed；

just　giving　me　a　hasty　shake　of　the　hand；　and　as　mamma　was　helped

in；　Mary　Waters；　who　was　sitting　inside；　flung　her　arms　round　her；

and　then　round　the　girls；　and　the　Doctor；　who　acted　footman；　jumped

on　the　box；　and　off　they　went；　taking　no　more　notice　of　ME　than　if

I'd　been　a　nonentity。



Here's　a　picture　of　the　whole　business：Mamma　and　Miss　Waters　are

sitting　kissing　each　other　in　the　carriage；　with　the　two　girls　in

the　back　seat：　Waters　is　driving　（a　precious　bad　driver　he　is　too）；

and　I'm　standing　at　the　garden　door；　and　whistling。　　That　old　fool

Mary　Malowney　is　crying　behind　the　garden　gate：　she　went　off　next

day　along　with　the　furniture；　and　I　to　get　into　that　precious

scrape　which　I　shall　mention　next。





SEPTEMBER。PLUCKING　A　GOOSE。





After　my　papa's　death；　as　he　left　me　no　money；　and　only　a　little

land；　I　put　my　estate　into　an　auctioneer'